Halloween Health Hazards (And How To Avoid Them)

If you're going to a Halloween party tonight, you could be exposing yourself to a heap of health hazards. At least that's the warning coming from health and safety experts.

Beware killer pumpkins this Halloween. Photo: Stock.xchng, cbcs

Doctors from Southampton University Hospitals, for instance, claim bobbing for apples is a risky business. A&E staff at the hospital treated a grand total of three people with apple bobbing injuries last year, which inspired them to come up with a safety guide for bobbers this year.

First, if you don't want a 'high velocity impact with an apple' to damage your eyes, wear goggles as you dunk your head under the water, they say. And to be extra sure there are no eye injuries, remove the stalks from the apples beforehand. While you're at it, disinfect the bowls your apples will be floating in too. And as for novelty contact lenses, don't even go there, as they can irritate your eyes.

Meanwhile the Consumer Product Safety Commission claims around 226 people have suffered dressing-up related injuries in the US in the past five years, including five deaths.

The catalogue of accidents includes eye patches stuck to faces with superglue, sprained ankles, second-degree burns from costumes going up in flames and of course eye injuries - glitter make-up, for instance, sounds like a real menace as it can get in your eyes and scratch your cornea.

And we haven't even begun to mention the damage all those trick-or-treat sweets and chocolates can do to your waistline, let alone your teeth.

It almost makes you want to lock your front door and stay at home until Halloween is over.

Are health and safety warnings taking all the fun out of Halloween? What do you think?